558: Saddleback vs the SBC & Misusing the Marriage Metaphor with Beth Felker Jones & Amy Peeler
Release Date: 03/29/2023
741: Celebrity Pope, Christian Bloodlust & Is Israel Losing America with Todd Deatherage
The Holy Post
Why is Pope Leo drawing massive crowds in one of the most secular countries in Europe? Phil, Kaitlyn, and Mike Erre talk about the Pope’s surprising celebrity in France and whether people are becoming more open to Christianity when they see it lived with sincerity and conviction. Then, after a botched execution in Tennessee, some Christian leaders are calling for a return to public hangings and firing squads. Is the death penalty really demanded by Christian theology, or does the gospel call Christians toward a different vision of justice and mercy? Finally, Skye talks with Todd Deatherage...
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740: Is Empathy Killing the West & What Makes a Soul Secure with Alison Cook
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Is empathy becoming a liability in American Christianity? Phil, Kaitlyn, and Mike Erre discuss the growing backlash against empathy and why some conservatives argue that too much compassion can lead to bad politics, bad theology, and even the decline of Western civilization. They also look at Russell Moore’s warning about the “fear-driven church” and how anxiety about God, outsiders, and our own communities can shape the way Christians think and behave. Then, Kaitlyn talks with psychologist Alison Cook about attachment theory, the limits of human relationships, and why no other person...
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739: Debriefing the Debate over Evangelicalism
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Podcast hosts, ASSEMBLE! Phil, Skye, Kaitlyn, and Esau come together to debrief the new books by Kristen Kobes Du Mez, Bonnie Kristian, and Charlie Dates, as well as their recent interviews on The Holy Post. They each critique or defend evangelicalism, but who's right? Is evangelicalism worth fixing? Does the current debate unknowingly center only white experiences of evangelicalism? And is evangelicalism even a thing, or just a category pollsters made up? Plus, the team wrestles with their own responsibility and calling in the Christian media marketplace. Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free...
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738: Are Evangelicalism’s Failures Bugs or a Feature? with Bonnie Kristian
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Following the 9/11 terrorist attack 25 years ago, Americans began using more “good versus evil” rhetoric, but have we taken it too far? Many of the tech bros developing AI were fans of sci-fi novels and movies in middle school, but completely missed the point of those stories. We may all pay the price. Bonnie Kristian, the deputy editor at Christianity Today, returns to discuss her new book “In Defense of Evangelicalism.” While she agrees with many of the recent criticisms of the movement, she says the problems within evangelicalism are bugs rather than features and believes its...
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737: The Surprising Origin of Evangelical Femininity with Kristin Kobes Du Mez
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Historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of the best-selling “Jesus and John Wayne,” is back with another look at the forces that shaped modern American evangelicalism. This time she explores the backstory of evangelical femininity in her new book, “Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made.” Also this week: Phil wants to know what links three recent celebrity deaths—Dolly Parton, Gloria Steinem, and Wendell Berry. To the surprise of many, The Christian Post has published an anti-Christian nationalist article. Is it a sign that the evangelical...
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736: Reuniting Justice & Righteousness with Charlie Dates
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Why are the Christians who profess right doctrine about God often the most opposed to social justice in his name? That contradiction is at the heart of Charlie Dates’ new book. He talks with Skye about how separating justice and righteousness is damaging both white evangelicalism and young black activists. Also this week: Reflections on the wisdom of Dolly Parton, why religious tolerance isn’t enough to heal America’s divisions, and the difficulty of being an introvert within evangelicalism. Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free Version of this Episode: 0:00 - Show Starts 0:44 - Theme Song...
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735: Is Socialism Christian? plus Matthew Loftus
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Socialism appears to be having a moment with a recent CNN poll finding that one-third of Democratic voters now consider themselves “democratic socialists.” But what does socialism believe, and is it compatible with Christianity? Kaitlyn interviews Matthew Loftus about pop psychology and how the spread of therapy culture can distort the Christian life. Also this week: After shutting down U.S.A.I.D., why is the Trump administration now increasing funding to Christian relief agencies? Why do conservatives have more children than liberals? And would you like cake in your shake? Holy...
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734: The Problem With Modern Dating Culture and the Resurgence of Christian Music with Kelsey McGinnis
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Dating apps were supposed to make romance easier, but have they actually made men and women worse at dating? Kaitlyn Schiess takes over the host chair with Skye Jethani and Mike Erre to talk about Bumble’s decision to let men make the first move and why modern dating culture seems to be leaving everyone frustrated. Then they turn to AI and ask what happens when people start outsourcing friendship, advice, and intimacy to chatbots, and why churchgoing Christians may be especially eager to trust the technology. Later, Kaitlyn talks with musicologist Kelsey McGinnis about the resurgence of...
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733: Will Progressive Pastors Close the Political “God Gap”? and Elizabeth Neumann
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Since the 1980s, the Republican Party has increasingly been associated with Christianity, while the Democratic Party has distanced itself from religious rhetoric to be more inclusive. But is that changing? This year, a surprising number of pastors are running for Congress as Democrats, and they are not shy about infusing their campaigns with faith. Republicans eager to protect their brand are fighting back by calling these progressive clergy candidates “PINOs”—Pastors in Name Only. In related news, Ryan Burge reveals surprising data about the political views of mainline ministers....
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732: Mailbag! Prenups, "Mere Christianity," and Did Jesus Help People Get Drunk?
The Holy Post
The age of generic, non-denominational Christianity may be coming to an end. Phil, Skye, and Kaitlyn discuss why Christians are increasingly drawn to narrower theological identities, and whether the internet is turning legitimate doctrinal differences into purity tests and church fights. Then, the crew opens the mailbag to answer whether prenuptial agreements are compatible with Christian marriage and if praying in public is an authentic expression of faith or an uncomfortable performance. They also consider what Christians should read to better understand the end times and why Jesus supplied...
info_outlineDescription: Rick Warren, the founder and former pastor of Saddleback Church, is speaking out after his church was ejected from the Southern Baptist Convention for ordaining women. Phil explains how the SBC went from being accepting of female leaders, to opposing them, to kicking out churches that depart even slightly on the issue. Then, Kaitlyn talks with Dr. Beth Felker Jones and Dr. Amy Peeler about Joshua Butler’s controversial article comparing the gospel to marital sex. They explain what his article gets fundamentally wrong about the New Testament’s marriage metaphor. Plus, a new study finds evangelicals are the least liked religious group in America, except by evangelicals who think they’re great. And someone is anonymously leaving their mark on Broadway.
Patreon Bonus: Bonus Interview with Beth Felker Jones & Amy Peeler
https://www.patreon.com/posts/80671682
Patreon Bonus: Listener Question
https://www.patreon.com/posts/80671892
Holy Post merch store - https://www.holypost.com/shop
0:00 - Intro
2:45 - Theme Song
3:55 - News of the Butt
9:03 - Evangelicals loved by Evangelicals, but not anyone else
14:14 - SBC history around women ordination
26:49 - Denny Burke’s response to Rick Warren
46:14 - Guest Interview - Beth Felker Jones & Amy Peeler
53:47 - Can marriage and sex point us to God?
59:29 - Interpreting the marriage metaphor in Ephesians 5
1::03:11 - Flaws of the giver, receiver framework
1:18:59 - End Credits
Links mentioned in news segment:
Fan poops in aisle near Hillary and Chelsea Clinton at Broadway show
https://pagesix.com/2023/03/20/fan-poops-in-aisle-near-hillary-and-chelsea-clinton-at-show/
Evangelicals Are the Most Beloved US Faith Group Among Evangelicals
The Southern Baptist Convention’s coming ‘Great Ejection’ https://religionnews.com/2023/03/22/the-southern-baptist-conventions-coming-great-ejection/
Rick Warren Has Done the SBC a Great Service
https://www.dennyburk.com/rick-warren-has-done-the-sbc-a-great-service/
Other resources:
The Bible’s Marriage Metaphor Doesn’t Belong In the Bedroom by Amy Peeler
Protestant bodies, Protestant bedrooms, & our furious need for a theology thereof by Beth Felker Jones
https://bethfelkerjones.substack.com/p/protestant-bodies-protestant-bedrooms
Faithful: A Theology of Sex by Beth Felker Jones
Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/
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